A hiker has shared their own footage of the devastation wreaked by last month's floods at Yellowstone National Park. The video, from Montana This Morning's John Sherer, gives a new perspective on some of the damage, which experts estimate might cost $1 billion to repair.
As Sherer notes, Yellowstone's north and northeast entrances remain closed to vehicular traffic, but hikers can enter on foot, His video, which you can watch below, gives a different view of the ruined infrastructure than recent news reports, including a particularly shocking shot of a road completely torn away, with an exposed waste water pipe underneath.
Sherer notes that the pipe doesn't appear to be leaking, but Yellowstone's waste water treatment infrastructure was overwhelmed and badly damaged during the floods Some sharp drops where the road has collapsed appear to be cordoned off with concrete barriers, but in other areas the broken edge is still exposed (possibly due to the risk of further landslides.
Future threats
The damage to Yellowstone's historic Canyon Road is so severe, park officials fear that it may never reopen. "I'd like to see this canyon restored. Ultimately, you've got to be cognizant of what the future threats could be," said park superintendent Cam Sholly in a recent interview with CBS News.
For now, the main priority is reconnecting nearby settlements so residents' lives can get back to normal, and a narrow cycle lane has been converted into a temporary two-lane road to handle essential vehicles.
- Best hiking shoes: tackle the toughest terrain
